A wave of abuse allegations has swept the island since January, according to the wire service. Bishop Daniel Fernández Torres, who has removed six priests from ministry for abuse since becoming Arecibo’s bishop in 2010, has himself been accused of abuse.

“Clearly, it's revenge for the decisions I've taken since the moment I assumed leadership of the diocese, where the situation that I found was not the most positive,” he said.

César Miranda, Puerto Rico’s secretary of justice, is investigating priests in four of the island's six dioceses.

“We are not going to rest,” said Miranda. “We are going to capture them, we are going to process them and we are going to put them in jail.”